Second Chances
by Leopardheart-Naux-Kadaj
Summary: Scourge and Tigerstar died and they can never live again-or can they? They have been reincarnated to learn from their past mistakes or make them again. What path will they choose this time?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, fellow Warrior fanatics! This story is going to replace my other story, Night of the Fallen. I love Tigerstar and Scourge so I had to write about them! Please enjoy and PM/ Review with comments, question, concerns or emotional outbursts!**

**This takes place between Midnight and Darkest hour, by the way!**

**Disclaimer: Do not own Warriors. Erin hunter does. Because if I did, the Clans would have never moved to the lake.**

Allegiances:

ThunderClan:

Leader: Firestar—ginger tom with green eyes

Deputy: Graystripe—long haired gray tom

Medicine Cat: Cinderpelt—dark gray she-cat

Apprentice: Leafpaw—light brown tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes

Warriors:

Dustpelt: dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Squirrelpaw

Sandstorm: ginger she-cat with pale green

Apprentice: Sorrelpaw

Cloudtail: long haired white tom

Brackenfur: golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Whitepaw

Thornclaw: golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Shrewpaw

Rainwhisker: dark gray tom with blue eyes

Apprentice: Spiderpaw

Brightheart: white she-cat with ginger patches

Brambleclaw: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Ashfur: pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

Sootfur: lighter gray tom with amber eyes

Sorreltail: tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Squirrelpaw: dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Leafpaw: (see med. Cat)

Spiderpaw: long-limbed black tom with brown under-belly with amber eyes

Shrewpaw: small dark brown tom with amber eyes

Whitepaw: white she-cat with green eyes

Queens:

Goldenflower: pale ginger coat; oldest nursery queen

Ferncloud: pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes (mother of Hollykit, Larchkit and Birchkit)

Mousefur: dusky brown she-cat with green eyes. (Mother of Shadowkit and Tigerkit)

Elders:

Frostfur: beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

Dappletail: once pretty tortoiseshell she-cat; oldest she-cat in Thunderclan

Longtail: pale tabby tom with dark black stripes; retired early due to failing sight

Speckletail: pale tabby she-cat

* * *

A freezing cold wind rushed through the Thunderclan camp the very moment my brother and I were born. Some cats took it as an sad, foreboding omen but many thought it was just a meaningless, harmless coincidence. Whether it was a sign or not, they were never sure. As for me, I thought it was a wind like any other.

My smaller brother laid beside me, perfectly still in his sleep. His totally black coat rippled slightly under the warm breeze that slipped in the nursery through the cracks in the roof. I sat up; awake, now unable to sleep when curiosity prickled my paws. I opened my eyes for the first time and was amazed at the sight of everything. I turned my head to the dusky brown body that was Mousefur, our mother, and then saw the curled up body of my brother.

"Wake up, Shadowkit." I prodded my brother awake.

He stretched out his white forepaw to bat at my face. "Not yet, Tigerkit. I want to sleep."

"But there's so much to see!" I insisted, prodding him again.

He growled and sat up, opening his eyes for the first time also. He looked around quickly in atonishment at the things he could see around him. He yawned, his pink tongue sliding out of his mouth. "Let's go then." He meowed and turned his ice-blue eyes on me. My eyes were blue too but not as cold or pale as his.

"Mousefur? Can we go outside?" Shadowkit asked.

The dusty brown queen looked at her kits. "Sure, but be back soon."

"We will mother," mewed Shadowkit and the two of us padded out of the warm, crowded den.

My eyes widened as we wandered into the sandy clearing. The ThunderClan camp seemed so large; a hundred cats could fit in it! I saw a giant rock growing out of the ground and two ginger cats and a gray one sitting beneath it, chatting together friendly.

Shadowkit and I bounded over as fast as our short legs would take us, eager to meet these cats.

"Hello, kittens," greeted the ginger she-cat as we halted in front of them. "I'm Sandstorm, this is Firestar and that's Graystripe." She pointed with a jerk of her head to each cat as she meowed their name.

The two toms blinked in greeting.

"Hey, Firestar, don't they look just like…?" Graystripe began, not finishing his question.

Firestar looked at me and Shadowkit and his emerald eyes widened like full moons. The prophecy rang in his soft ear fur:

"_Cats from your past_

_Will be reborn_

_To learn something_

_They didn't learn before_

_These cats that will begin a-new_

_There shall be two."_

"Yes, they do. Very similar," he said in a soft, distant voice.

"Like who, Firestar?" asked my brother curiously in a high-pitched voice.

"No one important," mewed the dark gray-furred tom, glancing at Firestar.

My brother's face showed no emotion but I narrowed my eyes. This wasn't true, I could tell by the faraway look in Firestar's green eyes…but I'd find out who I resembled soon enough.

We left the three cats and padded around camp. We poked our heads into the warrior's den made under a yew bush. Dustpelt, a light brown tom, gently chided for us to not be in there when there were exhausted warriors who had earned their sleep were in there. Heeding his warning, the two of us scampered off to the apprentice's den under a bramble bush, where Sorrelpaw, a calico-and-white she-cat, let us explore. She explained that in a few moons, we'd be in there as we trained to be warriors. Then Shadowkit and I headed to the elder's den, which was a fallen tree with nests made inside, where the four elders greeted us warmly and happily. Frostfur sighed as she said how handsome we were and how she'd had a few handsome kits herself when she had been a queen.

After exploring those dens, we padded off to the medicine cat clearing, but before we could actually make it down the fern tunnel, Longtail scented us and told us to go back. Shadowpaw had had the nerve to ask him why he was in the medicine cat clearing. The pale tabby warrior answered he'd gotten his eye scratched while hunting prey, which had healed for a bit* but its infection was back. We wished him to get well, to which he thanked us.

Shadowkit and I bounded back for the nursery and crawled back inside. We curled up by our mother after making our way to her nest, snuggling close to her warmth. We drifted into a peaceful sleep, where we chased mice and voles, and padded around a sun-filled forest.

**AN: So what do you think so far? Do you like this idea? You know the thing called the review button? Well, its pleading to be pressed so please review!**

***-Yes, Longtail is not going to blind in this story. I love him too much.**

**Leopardheart**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to my reviewers. Here is chapter two!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned warriors, would Sunrise be so retarded and painful?**

Allegiances:

ThunderClan:

Leader: Firestar—ginger tom with green eyes

Apprentice: Tigerpaw

Deputy: Graystripe—long haired gray tom

Medicine Cat: Cinderpelt—dark gray she-cat

Apprentice: Leafpaw—light brown tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes

Warriors:

Dustpelt: dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Squirrelpaw

Sandstorm: ginger she-cat with pale green

Mousefur: dusky brown she-cat with green eyes

Cloudtail: long haired white tom

Brackenfur: golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Whitepaw

Thornclaw: golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Shrewpaw

Rainwhisker: dark gray tom with blue eyes

Apprentice: Spiderpaw

Brightheart: white she-cat with ginger patches

Brambleclaw: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Ashfur: pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

Sootfur: lighter gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Shadowpaw

Sorreltail: tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Mousefur: dusky brown she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices:

Squirrelpaw: dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Leafpaw: (see med. Cat)

Spiderpaw: long-limbed black tom with brown under-belly with amber eyes

Shrewpaw: small dark brown tom with amber eyes

Whitepaw: white she-cat with green eyes

Shadowpaw: black tom with a white right forepaw; ice-blue eyes

Tigerpaw: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and unusually long front claws

Queens:

Goldenflower: pale ginger coat; oldest nursery queen

Ferncloud: pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes (mother of Hollykit, Larchkit and Birchkit)

Elders:

Frostfur: beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

Dappletail: once pretty tortoiseshell she-cat; oldest she-cat in Thunderclan

Longtail: pale tabby tom with dark black stripes; retired early due to failing sight

Speckletail: pale tabby she-cat

* * *

My brother and I were eating a shrew beside the apprentice's den; we had become Shadowpaw and Tigerpaw that morning. It had been five moons since we had taken a journey around camp and now we had the freedom to explore the whole forest. Under Firestar's and Sootfur's agreement—they were our mentor's and so they had control over us.

I ate thoughtfully, pouring over the things we could do now and would be taught while my black-furred brother's eyes were gazing intently at Sootfur and Sorreltail.

"Why do you keep staring over there?" I asked him after swallowing a mouthful of fur and meat.

He blinked and turned his head towards me. "I don't know... Let's go ask if we can go explore or something; maybe we can check out the RiverClan border."

He took a quick bite of the prey we had been eating and then got up and stretched each leg in turn. I finished eating and got up and the two of us padded over to the light gray tom.

"Sootfur," Shadowpaw greeted.

"Hello, Shadowpaw." The warrior mewed to his apprentice.

"May Tigerpaw and I go out into the forest?" the apprentice asked.

Sootfur pondered for a moment. "Go ahead, but be back before sunset and don't go picking a fight with any cat you might meet."

My brother dipped his head and we exited the camp. As we padded out of the shadowy ravine, we headed toward the river. We followed the scent of water and soon we arrived at the bank. Dark water lapped at the pebbles on the bank with a whisper. The sun over-head heated my dark fur as well as my brother's, making the cold water seem appealing.

"Want to jump in?" I joked, gesturing to the water.

My brother faced me, "It would be better than standing here."

"I was joking, Shadowpaw," I said, nudging him.

"I know but we could put our paws in at the bank." He replied, already moving towards the swirling liquid.

"Careful, Shadowpaw, the current might sweep you away," I warned.

My brother turned to face me with an annoyed look in his blue gaze and then continued to the water, padding down the Sunningrocks. We sat in the water, so the water rose up to our chest fur and watched it swivel around our legs, cooling us off a bit.

Suddenly, the black furred apprentice disappeared. Panic began to well in my chest; he had been taken by the water's current.

"Shadowpaw? Shadowpaw!" I yowled, eyes searching downstream for the little apprentice.

A head bobbed to the surface and then broke it; it was Shadowpaw. His blue eyes danced with amusement; he had pulled a joke on me. My pelt flushed with embarrassment.

"That wasn't funny, Shadowpaw," I scolded. He said nothing but the amused expression stayed on his wet face. "I thought you were swept away," I mumbled.

"I would have yowled if that happened." He meowed. "Let's head back."

I nodded and we padded back up the rocky bank. We reached the top and shook ourselves dry, our fur fluffing up twice our size. Right as we entered the shadow of the trees, an unfamiliar she-cat's voice yowled, "Stop right there!"

My brother and I paused.

"Leave them alone, Leopardstar," called a second voice, a tom this time. "They are probably kits, I mean look at the tiny black one."

Shadowpaw whipped around at the warrior's comment. I turned to face the unfamiliar cats. There was a golden she-cat, Leopardstar, I assumed, a gray warrior and black warrior.

"My name is Shadow_paw_," growled the small black tom.

"Well, Shadowpaw, what were you doing in RiverClan's river?" snarled the black warrior on the other bank.

"You don't own the river," Shadowpaw called. I saw the RiverClan warrior unsheathe his claws. I stared at Leopardstar and hoped she wouldn't let her warrior fight my brother.

Leopardstar's eyes were on me and Shadowpaw. Her light amber gaze was filled with horror, replacing the hostility that had lit them before. She was backing away and I could faintly hear her murmur, "It can't be them…."

"What's wrong, Leopardstar?" I yowled across the river.

"Leave, Tigerstar!" she yowled back. "Let's go, Stormfur, Blackclaw!" she ordered her cats and I watched them slink back through the reeds.

"Why did she call me Tigerstar?" I asked my brother as we turned back and headed back to camp. The small tom shrugged. I dropped the subject but I knew I'd always remember what she called me….Tigerstar….

**SOOO what do you think? Please review! Tenth reviewer gets a Tigerpaw and a Shadowpaw plushie!**

**Leopardheart**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is chapter three! Read, enjoy and review! Whoever reviews 10th and 15th get plushies!**

Allegiances:

ThunderClan

Leader: Firestar—ginger tom with green eyes

Apprentice: Tigerpaw

Deputy: Graystripe—long haired gray tom

Medicine Cat: Cinderpelt—dark gray she-cat

Apprentice: Leafpaw—light brown tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes

Warriors:

Dustpelt: dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Squirrelpaw

Sandstorm: ginger she-cat with pale green

Mousefur: dusky brown she-cat with green eyes

Cloudtail: long haired white tom

Brackenfur: golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Whitepaw

Thornclaw: golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Shrewpaw

Rainwhisker: dark gray tom with blue eyes

Apprentice: Spiderpaw

Brightheart: white she-cat with ginger patches

Brambleclaw: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Ashfur: pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

Sootfur: lighter gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Shadowpaw

Sorreltail: tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Mousefur: dusky brown she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices:

Squirrelpaw: dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Leafpaw: (see med. Cat)

Spiderpaw: long-limbed black tom with brown under-belly with amber eyes

Shrewpaw: small dark brown tom with amber eyes

Whitepaw: white she-cat with green eyes

Shadowpaw: small black tom with a white right forepaw; ice-blue eyes

Tigerpaw: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and unusually long front claws

Queens:

Goldenflower: pale ginger coat; oldest nursery queen

Ferncloud: pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes (mother of Hollykit, Larchkit and Birchkit)

Elders:

Frostfur: beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

Dappletail: once pretty tortoiseshell she-cat; oldest she-cat in Thunderclan

Longtail: pale tabby tom with dark black stripes; retired early due to failing sight

Speckletail: pale tabby she-cat

* * *

I fall asleep at night every night but never have it been peaceful; dreams of cats yowling in pain and bodies of cats with the life draining from them haunted every moment of it and more than once I woke to gasp awake and feel my heart ram against my chest.

"Come on, Tigerpaw, get up." Hissed Firestar early in the morning, a moon after the incident with Leopardstar.

I growled as I awoke. Not because I did not wish to be awoken from the terrible dreams but because I wished I had at least a wink of peaceful sleep.

"Today I want you to hunt for the elders," Firestar meowed once I had met up with him in the clearing. "Once you have done that, meet me for battle training."

I dipped my head and padded out into the forest. Mouth-watering scents of prey met my nostrils and I sniffed out a particular scent; a squirrel. I tracked it down where it was nibbling on a beech nut beneath a tree. I silently crept up on it, my paw-steps making little noise against the earthy floor. When I was a mouse-length away, I leaped at it, but it had turned toward me a moment before I leaped and so it had scurried. I tore after it, and then I got close enough to swipe it; I reached out a paw and batted it into the air.

As it dropped back to the forest floor, I stood up on my back legs and caught in my jaws.

"Excellent catch," mewed a voice behind me. I dropped down onto four paws and faced the voice.

A pale golden she-cat was sitting and watching me, her tail curled around her paws.

"Thanks, Goldenflower." I mumbled around the prey.

She blinked a welcome at me.

"How long have you been watching me?" I asked curiously.

"I wanted to watch an apprentice and so when you left, I followed you here." She replied.

I didn't know what to say to that so I meowed, "Well, I have to hunt for the elders so I got to go." I turned, buried my squirrel, and stalked through the undergrowth, out of sight of the pale warrior.

I scented a vole and it was hiding behind some brush. I caught it easily and moved on. But the more I hunted, the wearier I got, and from the lack of sleep for the past few nights, I passed out; after catching a shrew and on the ShadowClan border, right beside the Thunderpath.

I woke up in the medicine cat's den. I stood up, whipping my head wildly around, wondering why I was in here.

"Calm down, Tigerpaw." came the soothing voice of Cinderpelt. "You passed out on the ShadowClan border this morning, and a hunting patrol found you. You're lucky they did too; you were almost hit." When she spoke, her eyes clouded with sadness and she flinched slightly when she said my name, contradicting her words.

"What's wrong?" When she said nothing, I changed the subject. "I haven't been able to sleep lately, Cinderpelt." I confided in the medicine cat, telling her about the nightmares.

Her eyes became blank for a moment, and she stared into the distance. She shook her head and looked at me, her eyes momentarily filled with hostility but the emotion was replaced by concern. "They are just dreams, Tigercl—Tigerpaw."

"Who did you call me?" I asked.

"No one," Cinderpelt meowed, turning back into her den.

I took that as a sign to leave, and my mind was consumed with questions; why are cats—like Cinderpelt and Leopardstar—calling me names that aren't mine? Why did Cinderpelt look at me with ferocity and Leopardstar look at me and my brother in horror while other cats saw us as just their Clanmates? What had we done wrong?

I was troubled more than when the dreams began, I just wanted to curl up in my nest and forget it all. But I had battle training with Firestar still, and could not disobey him. I dashed toward his den, calling his name when I got there.

The fiery pelted tom appeared from his den and we headed out of the ravine and to the training hollow. We battle trained until sunhigh, when I stood above Firestar, one sheathed paw on his belly and another on his throat. His green eyes were swimming with pride that I could fight well, but beneath the pride I could detect fear. A little ways away, Sootfur was pinned down by Shadowpaw, his gaze not containing the fear Firestar's held, which made me wonder; why did I scare Firestar? I was only an apprentice.

At sunset, I lay beside my brother, sharing tongues with him after eating a plump chaffinch.

"Tigerpaw," he began, looking up at me with his pale eyes. "Have you noticed the way some cats look at us?"

I nodded, meeting his gaze. "But I can't understand why. What did we do to them?"

The small black tom shook his head, not knowing the answer. We continued washing each other's pelts until the sun sunk behind the trees and then within minutes the clearing was thrown into darkness, with only the stars and the moon to light it. Shadowpaw got up and curled up in the apprentices den. I stayed out a moment longer, gazing up in to stars and asked silently, _what did we do, StarClan? Why do the cats treat us this way?_

**So, what did you think? Review and tell me! I'm not updating until I get 15 reviews. Can I ask for that much? Thanks to those who will take the time and review.**

**Leopardheart**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is chapter four! Read, enjoy and review! Whoever reviews 10th and 15th get plushies!**

Allegiances:

ThunderClan

Leader: Firestar—ginger tom with green eyes

Apprentice: Tigerpaw

Deputy: Graystripe—long haired gray tom

Medicine Cat: Cinderpelt—dark gray she-cat

Apprentice: Leafpaw—light brown tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes

Warriors:

Dustpelt: dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Squirrelpaw

Sandstorm: ginger she-cat with pale green

Mousefur: dusky brown she-cat with green eyes

Cloudtail: long haired white tom

Brackenfur: golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Whitepaw

Thornclaw: golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Shrewpaw

Rainwhisker: dark gray tom with blue eyes

Apprentice: Spiderpaw

Brightheart: white she-cat with ginger patches

Brambleclaw: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Ashfur: pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

Sootfur: lighter gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Shadowpaw

Sorreltail: tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Mousefur: dusky brown she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices:

Squirrelpaw: dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Leafpaw: (see med. Cat)

Spiderpaw: long-limbed black tom with brown under-belly with amber eyes

Shrewpaw: small dark brown tom with amber eyes

Whitepaw: white she-cat with green eyes

Shadowpaw: small black tom with a white right forepaw; ice-blue eyes

Tigerpaw: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and unusually long front claws

Queens:

Goldenflower: pale ginger coat; oldest nursery queen

Ferncloud: pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes (mother of Hollykit, Larchkit and Birchkit)

Elders:

Frostfur: beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

Dappletail: once pretty tortoiseshell she-cat; oldest she-cat in Thunderclan

Longtail: pale tabby tom with dark black stripes; retired early due to failing sight

Speckletail: pale tabby she-cat

* * *

I paced around the clearing, my dark brown tabby tail swishing back and forth. RiverClan was invading on Sunningrocks constantly and now it was time to fight for the gray boulders as ThunderClan land.

Firestar leaped onto the Highrock, not needing to yowl the formal words as every cat was already in the clearing.

"Tonight, I will launch us into battle with RiverClan, to reclaim was is rightfully ours. Sunningrocks belongs to us, ThunderClan!" yowled the ginger tom.

Approving yowls sounded from the cats below. My brother and I yowled our approval; this was our first battle and we would prove ourselves great in this age-old continuos fight. Firestar jumped down and the battle patrol followed our leader out of the camp, through the dark ravine. The battle patrol consisted of my brother and I, Mousefur, Rainwhisker, Thronclaw, Brightheart and Shrewpaw. We followed our leader through the undergrowth stealthily. The cover of night surrounded us as we neared the river and the gleaming gray rocks.

We formed a line around the rocks from our side of the river. Cats began to appear from the water and from the reeds on the bank noiselessly, as if we had gone deaf. Their claws and fangs glimmered in the moonlight as they prepared for battle. I crouched with my hackles raised, unusually long claws unsheathed and fangs bared, fury darkening my amber eyes as I glared at the rival clan warriors.

On a silent signal we hurtled into battle. I leaped onto a black warrior and I barely recoognized his scent; Blackclaw. I dug my fangs into his neck, while slicing my claws down his flanks, leaving lines of torn fur. Blood oozed from his wounds and he bucked me off. I flew off, hitting a smooth rock and sliding down the side. I landed in a crevice and I had to force my broad shoulders through quickly so I could jump back into the battle.

Shadowpaw was fighting a silver she-cat. He slashed his razor-sharp claws across her face. She hissed before pinning him down, digging her claws into his black shoulders. I snarled before bowling over the RiverClan she-cat. She tried to get up and struggled vainly against my large frame. I clawed her stomach, leaving dark lines of quickly appearing blood against her pale fur.

She went limp and I allowed her escape. She fled and as she passed I nipped her hind leg harshly.

I swung my head around and saw Shadowpaw glaring at me.

"I can fight my own battles withour your help!" he hissed before scurrying into battle.

I found Mousefur battling two RiverClan warriors, a dark gray tom and a smaller red-furred tom. She batted at one's face as she torn another's ear. I bounded over and leaped onto the dark tom while she took on the red tom fully.

I could faintly recognize his scent, but couldn't remember with all the scents and sounds of battle around me; blood, anger, fear and agony wails. I bit into his shoulder and whipped himself around in an attempt to throw me off. I dug my claws into his back painfully, holding my grip. I felt him go limp but ignored it, knowing the trick. I clawed along his spine with my backpaws, making him screech. I let him go then and he turned to swipe my face. I backed from the out-stretched forepaw and he raced around me. He clamped his jaws on my long tail and I yowled.

I yanked my tail from his grip and with a loud and fierce snarl I pinned him down. I battered his stomach until his eyes shown with defeat and begged me to stop. I let him up and he ran down Sunningrocks and into the black water. I saw cats disappearing from the blood-spattered rocks and retreating with their tails tucked between their legs. They dived into the cool water and swam onto the reed covered banks.

I watched in triumph. Firestar let out a jubliant caterwaul and the weary, battered, victorious cats followed his joyous example. I threw back my head and released a victory yowl. ThunderClan howled out their joy before stalking back through the undergrowth. We burst into our camp and Shadowpaw and I headed intot the apprentice's den. We retold our victory and our own battles to the apprentices. They listened eagerly and congratulated our victory.

After a bit, I nodded off, curled in a nest near the bush's center. My small brother curled beside me, falling instantly asleep. The dreams of the agonized cats did not distub me tonight. Tonight I dreamed of yowling victoriously for all Clan's to hear, as I emerged victorious from my first battle.

**So, what did you think? Review and tell me! I'm not updating until I get 30 reviews. Can I ask for that much? Thanks to those who will take the time and review.**

**Leopardheart**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, sorry for my _slooooooooowwwww_ update! Here is chapter 5! By the way, Shadowpaw and Tigerpaw were born at the beginning of green-leaf, and so now it would be leaf-bare.... not sure how clear I made that before.**

I was very excited when I learned that I would be going to my first Gathering a quarter moon after the battle with RiverClan. Especially so soon after beginning my apprenticeship. My brother's icy gaze reflected my joy.

"Remember, don't give anything away that would harmful for other clans to know," reminded Sootfur as we prepared to leave.

Shadowpaw and I nodded before joining the group of cats near the camp entrance. After seeing all the cats that would be going were there, Firestar led the way out of the sandy camp. The rest of us followed the orange tom into the almost leaf-less forest; the forest was being affected by the cold as the harsh moons were upon us.

The full moon was rising as the ThunderClan patrol--which was made up of Firestar, Graystripe, Brambleclaw, Cinderpelt, me, Shadowpaw, Leafpaw, Brackenfur, Sandstorm and Whitepaw--headed out of the ravine and into the shadowed forest. Happiness and excitement lit up my amber gaze. Moonlight and darkness dappled our pelts as we dashed through the familiar forest. We bounded for the hollow, and were brought to halt as we reached the slope of Fourtrees.

Firestar paused for a moment, before flicking his giner-orange tail, signaling the rest of us to enter the clearing. We ran down the slope and were met by another clan--WindClan, by their musky, grassy scent. I watched as Brackenfur, Brambleclaw, Graystripe and Sandstorm weaved among the rival clan, chatting informally with other cats. Firestar leaped onto the Great Rock and stood next to a older-looking black-and-white tom, whose long tail swished in greeting. Cinderpelt and Leafpaw headed to sit beneath the large gray stone, beside a mottled dark brown tom.

I looked for small cats like myself--well, I'm not that small, but other apprentices. I saw a small dark gray, almost black tom sitting beside a black, green-eyed she-cat. I padded forward toward them.

"Hey," I greeted casually.

"Haven't seen you around before," meowed the she-cat. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tigerpaw," I answered proudly.

A nearby little white she-cat's head swiveled swiftly toward me. Her blue eyes were lit in fear. "What did you say your name was?"

"Tigerpaw," I repeated.

"What was the ThunderClan queen thinking?" mumbled the she-cat, turned back to her conversation with Graystripe.

"Don't mind Whitetail; I don't know what she's talking about either," meowed the gray apprentice.

I nodded. That was the third time someone had remarked on my name. I quickly scanned the clearing, looking for my black-furred brother. He was sitting near a clump of ferns, talking with a light brown tabby tom. Knowing he was not alone and getting along fine with another cat, I turned my attention back to the pair of apprentices.

"So, how long until you two are warriors?" I asked curiously.

"Not much longer; it feels like we've been training for _ages_!" exclaimed the she-cat.

My whiskers twitched in amusement. I was a head taller than them, and they were almost warriors. I realized then how massive I was.

"What's so funny?" snapped the tom.

I didn't get to answer for I was distracted by the arrival of Leopardstar and RiverClan party arriving--some of whom I knew from battle. Then a white tom with huge jet-black paws who I assumed was the ShadowClan leader also arrived, his Clan following him. I wrinkled my nose at the pungent, crow-food smell bathed my nose and mouth. The two rival clan leaders leaped onto the Great Rock. I couldn't ignore the tension that rolled off many of the cats that were in the clearing--it was from all four Clans.

A yowl from one of the four cats rang out, telling the cats to gather beneath the stone. Moonlight paled all of our pelts, turning blacks to gray, and and brown tabbies like me to tan cats with stripes.

"Would you like to go first, Leopardstar?" meowed the black-and-white WindClan leader.

"Sure, Tallstar," answered the RiverClan leader. She padded forward to the front of the rock and meowed, "Hunting has been fine this past moon. And border skirmishes are nothing we cannot handle."

Her light amber eyes gazed at the gathered ThunderClan cats almost coldly and my pelt pricked with confusion. _That battle was just a skirmish? Or is she saying that to hide that we had a full-out battle, which had been lost?_

"Other than that, RiverClan has nothing else to report," she finished and motioned for Firestar to go.

The handsome tom walked forward and mewed, "ThunderClan thrives! We have two apprentices, Shadowpaw and Tigerpaw!"

All four Clans congratulated us and I felt my pelt flush from pride.

"As Leopardstar said, border skirmishes are nothing we can't handle," he continued, his voice even. "Nothing else."

The young leader waved his tail for Tallstar to go and the elderly leader took up his spot. "WindClan is fine and our borders are secure. Blackstar."

"Alright," answered the tom--who, upon hearing his name, seemed vaguely familiar, though I couldn't think of why.

He padded to edge of the rock and looked down upon the assembled cats. His amber gaze flitted over all of us, though it seemed to a linger on Shadowpaw, me and the ShadowClan cats a moment longer. "ShadowClan has survived the first few moons of leaf-bare, but many of us go to sleep with empty bellies! We demand that we stretch our territory into ThunderClan's since it has been given rights to RiverClan already, so that we can survive longer! Perhaps we can all join territories, just for the harsh leaf-bare moons?"

Yowls of outrage sounded from the gathered from the ThunderClan cats. My striped fur bristled in anger, my long claws unsheathing. _How dare he_?!

Leopardstar's golden tabby head was bowed, as if shamed by the fact that she had already agreed to share territories with the ShadowClan cats_. She should be_! I thought to myself.

Firestar's moonlit-pale orange fur was risen in shock and anger, his green eyes glinting with fury. "How dare you, Blackstar?! Has alliance with Tigerstar taught you nothing?" the ThunderClan leader hissed.

Leopardstar's head lowered further, so that her chin touched her fluffy chest.

_There's that name! What happened with Tigerstar_? I thought to myself.

"Tigerstar had the right ideas. He wanted to ensure the safety of all Clans, and I am trying to do the same," growled Blackstar.

"Or are you following his ambitious path?" Firestar dared ask.

The ShadowClan leader's black tail lashed angrily and all of us could tell his patience was thinning. "I am trying to help ShadowClan as well allow you to hunt in our territory."

"Yes, that'll be the day," muttered Cloudtail nearby somewhere.

Tension and anger prickled the night air. All cats were quiet, as if considering Blackstar's words. The black-footed leader seemed to have regained his patience and his anger seemingly faded as he waited for the other leader's replies.

"No, Blackstar. I will not fall to your greed," meowed Tallstar firmly, his amber gaze cold.

"Nor will I," answered Firestar.

Blackstar's head whipped toward the pair, his anger back full force. "So you'd rather see ShadowClan die before helping them? Does hatred really run that deep that you cannot help another Clan who is need due to Twoleg greed? Did StarClan not say that there shall be four Clans in the forest?"

"StarClan would not want us to give up our hunting rights as our own though Blackstar," meowed Firestar, his tail flicking. "I will not allow ShadowClan into ThunderClan territory without aggression from us."

I could see hatred and fury igniting sparks in the white leader's eyes. "Do not regret your decision," he snarled with a seemingly hidden meaning.

"This Gathering is over!" yowled Tallstar and he jumped off the Great Rock. The other three leaders leaped off as well. All four Clan leader's fur bristled; Tallstar in outrage, Leopardstar in tension and shame, Firestar in fury, and Blackstar in contempt.

Firestar called his cats together and we followed him back home, to the safe ThunderClan camp. I padded beside my dark-furred brother, whose icy, pale blue eyes were clouded with thought.

"You aren't considering his words?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"No. I'm figuring when they will attack," Shadowpaw meowed grimly.

With those words stuck in my head, I felt a sinister sense of foreboding settle in the forest. Something dark was going to happen and I was powerless to stop it. What did being a young apprentice matter when it came to stuff like this? _Oh StarClan, help us!_

**So, what did you think of chapter 5?**

**Leopardheart**


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